A Shred of Normalcy
by madefrommemories
Summary: Sam and Dean Winchester have lived through hell, both literally and figuratively. But sometimes, even they get the opportunity to do something normal.


The '67 Impala rumbles down the highway, classic American muscle, its shiny black paint sparking in the mid-afternoon sun. If it were to stop, anyone within fifty feet would hear the classic rock blaring inside, see the driver singing along boisterously while his brother laughs at his antics from the passenger seat.

The driver is Dean Winchester, and he is a broken man, though you wouldn't know it by watching him now. He has been chewed up and spit out so many times that any normal man would've given up on living, but not Dean. He has people to live for, most importantly the man in the passenger seat, his brother, Sammy. Sam is the reason that Dean puts on a smile in the morning, that he sings along to ACDC like a fool and makes stupid jokes and keeps on living. He's got his baby brother to take care of.

Sam has been broken, too, and though his struggle has been different than Dean's, it has been no less horrific. All his life, Sam has had to live up to the crushing weight of his father's expectations, and then his brother's after that. Always trying his best, and always, in his own mind, falling short.

They've seen their friends and family die, have left others behind, have died themselves and been brought back screaming from hell to do it all over again. They've been through the ringer more times than they can count, and as many times or more, wished that they could've lived a normal life.

So when a good song comes on the stereo, Dean sings at the top of his lungs like a fool, and Sam laughs at his brother's antics - sometimes joining in if Dean really begs - and together they enjoy what little they can. Because what else can they really do, in the face of all that hell?

They have just finished up a job in Fairfield, Idaho, where a vengeful spirit had been giving the small town trouble. It was a good job, as they go; they managed to rid the town of its haunting without any further casualties, and just a few minor bumps and bruises. Almost, you would say, worth celebrating.

Dean's eyes flicker down to the gas meter and he sees that his baby is running low on fuel. The last sign they passed indicated that they were only a few miles out of Rockland. It seems like as good a place as any to stop for the night, so he takes the next exit. He pulls into the a dilapidated old gas station and fuels up while Sammy asks the attendant where the nearest motel is.

The bell on the door to the station rings cheerfully as Sam steps out. "So itlooks like there's a place with cheap rooms just off of main street," he says, making his way back over to the Impala. "The guy said to get back on the road and take the first left and we'll be there."

"Awesome," Dean answers with relish. "I can't wait to hit the hay."

His brother smirks back at him. "You mean, to catch up on your Asian cartoon porn?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, it's anime, Sam. Anime. And this time, I really do mean sleep. It'll be nice to sleep in a real bed without having to worry about getting up to fight monsters in the morning."

Sam laughs and slides his long frame into the passenger seat again, closing the door behind him. Dean follows suit, starting up the car and peeling out of the gas station.

They are both tired, both ready to get some rest. Their jobs are tiresome, thankless ones; saving a world from monsters that the world doesn't know exist doesn't exactly get you a lot of praise.

Sam watches the road with keen eyes, and he spots the turn first. "There it is, Dean, turn left up there," he says.

But Dean, his eyes focused straight ahead, has other ideas. He guns it through the intersection, ignoring Sam's protests and turns right instead, into the parking lot of a beat up, dumpy old movie theater.

"Seriously? Didn't you just say that you couldn't wait to get some sleep?"

Dean pulls into a stall near the front door, puts the Impala in park and grins back at his brother, enjoying the skeptical expression on Sam's face. "C'mon man, when was the last time we got to catch a movie on the big screen?"

Sam can't help but laugh at Dean, his eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas. He knows there's no arguing with him when he gets one of his crazy ideas. It _has_ been a long time since they got to watch a movie outside of a crappy motel room late at night, and it's too late to protest because Dean's already out of the car, on the way to the box office.

It's the middle of the day on a Wednesday and the lobby of the theater is practically deserted. Dean saunters over to the ticket booth, where an attractive blonde who looks to be in her early twenties is playing with her cell phone behind the glass, a bored expression on her face.

"Hey there," Dean says to her in the cocky voice he reserves for pretty girls, and Sam has to bite back a laugh, avoiding his brother's answering glare. The cashier's eyes go wide and her mouth drops open when she sees them standing in front of her. The Winchesters are so used to receiving minor - and sometimes major - injuries on the job that they hardly take notice of them anymore, but Sam's half-healed split lip and Dean's fading black eye, together on two very tall, attractive strangers in a tiny podunk town is more than a little shocking.

"Uh, hi," she says nervously, hastily putting her phone to the side. "How can I help you?"

"Two tickets for whatever's playing in the next half hour," Dean says, sliding a couple of bills through the slot to her.

She consults the list of showtimes beside her and prints them tickets to a goofy, animated movie that's playing in seventeen minutes. Sam opens his mouth to protest but Dean beats him to the punch. "Awesome," he says with a grin and a wink at the cashier, taking the tickets that she hands him through the opening.

"C'mon, Sammy. Kid movies keep you young." He gives Sam a solid pat on the back which would knock a smaller man off his feet and heads over to the concession.

Sam orders a large popcorn, light on the butter and the salt, and Dean orders enough candy to feed a small army of children. "Really, Dean?" Sam asks with raised eyebrows, pressing his lips together to hold back his grin.

"Hey, shut your cake-hole." Dean shoots back with narrowed eyes. "The candy's part of the experience."

They choose a pair of seats on the aisle, and without having to be asked, Dean lets Sammy sit on the end so he can stretch out his long legs, cramped from long hours folded up in the Impala. Dean gets comfortable too, putting his booted feet up on the seat in front of him and slouching down lazily. He opens the first bag of candy and starts shovelling handfuls into his mouth.

The movie is silly, but they both enjoy it anyway. Dean laughs uproariously at all the stupid jokes while Sammy laughs at Dean. Dean keeps a running commentary and Sam shushes him half-heartedly, fighting back a smile and wondering which of these terrible jokes will make a reappearance in the weeks to come. When one of the characters does something exceptionally stupid, Dean grabs a handful of Sam's popcorn before Sam can stop him and hurls it towards the screen with mock anger.

Neither brother can remember the last time they laughed so hard, or had such a great time out in public.

And despite how simple this pleasure is, despite the fact that normal people would take this for granted, for Sam and Dean Winchester, this is a beautiful thing. To be part of the real world for just a few hours, for a brief window of time forgetting that the fate of the world so often rests on their shoulders - shoulders that while broad and strong, are weary from the weight.

After the movie is done, they will find a motel room and comb through the news from the last couple weeks, looking for their next job. In a few days, they will be burning bones to fend off another vengeful spirit, or exorcising a demon, or shooting up a vamp with dead man's blood. In a year, they might be fighting the next war between angels and demons, or fending off the next apocalypse. But for now, it is a relief to find this tiny shred of normalcy, and for one brief night, to just be two brothers catching a movie.

* * *

**Author's note:**

**This idea came to me while I was doing a Season 7 re-watch, and I was struck with the happy thought that somehow, Dean and Sam still find time in the midst of all the hell they endure to catch a movie here and there, at least often enough to remain up on the pop-culture. The image of the brothers sitting in the theater (as described here) just wouldn't leave me alone and I found it really comforting to think of them enjoying something so normal.** **This is my first published ficlet for the Supernatural fandom! If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading, and I'd love to hear what you thought. Hopefully I'll be posting more in the future. :)** **Come visit me on tumblr at cassbuttandthepizzaman and madefrommemoriesff!**


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